iPhone Software Unlock now available

Earlier today we reported on the hardware unlocking of the iPhone. But that's ALREADY so over, as the group that operates iPhoneSIMfree.com has created a way to do it in software - and they say it will resists upgrades and restores.

The group has not published the details of their unlocking procedure because they plan to sell the service beginning next week. The event comes almost two full months after the iPhone's widely-publicized release by Apple and AT&T. And, like most cell phones sold through carriers in the US, the iPhone comes from the store locked to AT&T. New purchasers are required to either commit to a 2-year contract with AT&T in order to use it, or go with AT&T's pay-as-you-go service. Even though activating the iPhone "unlocks" the WiFi and iPod features of the phone, canceling AT&T service renders the device unable to make phone calls or make use of the EDGE data network.

Given the fact that Apple has a five-year exclusive contract with AT&T in the US, such restrictions have led to much angst over the fairness of locking a phone to a carrier—especially since the iPhone's purchase price is not subsidized by AT&T.

Most likely we don't have to worry about people flipping hardware unlocked iPhones any longer, as we wondered in the earlier story, do we?